Wednesday, December 29, 2004

A Democrat's Look at 2004

By Micah Holmquist

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Posted 12/29 | Add a Comment

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  1. This article has me vexed.  Can the author clarify for me the following:

    1.  are you saying the Bush administration is responsible for the coup in Haiti?
    2.  that 911 commission thingy that you cite as proof that “Bush is bad”... don’t you think that panel was slightly biased? (can you say Gorelick?)
    3.  didn’t the 911 commission thingy take some major swipes at Congress too?  weren’t there a bunch of democrats in both the House and the Senate during the time in question? 
    4.  How, precisely, was Bush supposed to handle the Abu Ghraib situation?

    In my biased opinion, the Democratic party has lost its way.  Its sad too, because the party of the donkey truly was a great party in the not too distant past.  As a card carrying member of the vast right wing conspiracy, I believe that the Democratic party is beholden to too many disparate special interest groups.  Kerry’s recent ruminations that the Democratic party should back off of its extreme pro choice position is probably a pretty astute political observation.  Maybe I am wrong, but as a right wing conspirator, that’s what I think. 

    Attack me at will…

    Posted by Al Kilya from Surfing Big Waves in Sri Lanka  on  12/29  at  11:41 PM

  2. The February 29 coup in Haiti is not the only one the US has helped conjure in recent history.
    You don’t have to be a “conspiracy theorist” to know this. You just have to be a little less naive. It’s not unusual.

    The US typically spends millions on political parties/figureheads that will align with its interests. Those political parties/figureheads are often not of a democratic character and don’t employ democratic means to acquire power.

    In Haiti the US has always supported a tiny population that uses extreme brutality to ensure its rule. In the recent past the US Defense Intelligence Agency has directly employed death squad leaders in Haiti. Some of their members, convicted human rights abusers, helped out in the latest February 29 coup. One internationally renowned human rights abuser was recently exxonerated of his crimes by the US backed interim government. He was lauded as a “freedom fighter.”

    Posted by Johanna Harman from San Francisco  on  12/30  at  05:20 AM

  3. Al Kilya (ha ha! the boy has a sense of humor!), you’re not a conspirator and you need more practice being obtuse and disingenuous. The AOL message boards are a good place to hone your skills.

    Posted by Harry from  on  12/30  at  06:19 AM

  4. Harry, your response is the best comeback I have ever seen. Unbelieveably good. I intend to keep it for future reference.

    Posted by Greg Stricherz from Minneapolis, MN  on  12/30  at  04:01 PM

  5. Al Kilya from Surfing Big Waves in Sri Lanka,

    Thank you for your response. My hope is to convert you to liberalism, so on to the questions..,

    1) Yes, of course. We don’t have any allies anymore, unlike the glory days of NATO’s bombing of parts of the former Yugoslavia, and so of course we did it. I’m shocked that you don’t understand that nothing generally considered to be good happens in other countries without being the result of America’s hard work. I learned that this summer in the wake of Reagan’s death. Have you learned it?

    2) Nope, not all. Bush is evil and incompetent and that is why all bad things happen. There is no reason to doubt that a President Kerry could defeat terrorism.

    3) It is just like you to pass the buck. Bush was president on September the eleventh. That is all that matters.

    4) Abusing prisoners is a lot like pornography. It serves a function in society but should not be brought up in polite company. I don’t mind it when it happens, but I shouldn’t have to hear about it as that makes us look bad.

    How can you possibly say that the party of Bill and Hillary Clinton has lost its way? Everything was so wonderful back then.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  12/31  at  10:35 AM

  6. Micah, you are near Steven Wright.

    Posted by j cummings from Canada  on  12/31  at  10:57 AM

  7. As I was reading this piece, I initially believed it was a satire.  After all, how could anyone still be so deluded about the 2004 election?

    For years I’ve been amazed and perplexed by the stubborn, willfull ignorance by many on the right.  They blissfully exist in a fantasy world where the media is liberal, Reagan is a demigod and the rantings of a clueless ideologue are accepted as incontrovertible truth with nary a wink.  Until this year, I never fully realized that many Democrats exist in a similar, paralell fantasy world of their own.  So, for Mr. Holmquist and his ilk, I offer a brief glimpse of reality:

    You defeated no one, and you accomplished nothing, other than misleading many good people who let their fear and anxiety get the better of their judgement.  Despite the best Karl Rovian efforts of the Democrats, Ralph Nader’s legacy remains quite intact.  If anything, it’s been enhanced by his steadfast refusal to abandon his principles while others abandoned theirs in a futile and foolish attempt at “pragmatism”, then castigated him for not doing likewise.

    Years, or even decades from now, after the neo-cons have self-destructed (as such arrogant, reckless and power-mad movements inevitably do), Ralph Nader will be remembered for his convictions, his activism and his inspiring example.  On the other hand, John Kerry, sometimes referred to by his colleagues as the “ghost senator” for his lack of presence in the senate, won’t even be a footnote.

    Similarly, in a larger sense, the independent movement of Ralph Nader and his compatriots will be an integral part of the eminent resurgance of popular progressivism in the United States.  The “anybody but Bush” movement of Mr. Holmquist and his cohorts will, in the end, be nothing but a pathetic and regrettable asterisk.

    Posted by Paladin from Michigan, USA  on  12/31  at  01:18 PM

  8. *offers Paladin a modest, virtual bow… in appreciation of his clear sightedness re. Ralph Nader*

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  12/31  at  02:13 PM

  9. Paladin from Michigan, USA,

    First of all I want to thank you for recognizing that I am a very serious writer and this was amongst the most serious things I have ever written. Some people think it must be a joke when I say things like “The right man for America right now and America’s only hope for a future was defeated” and “Nader, a guy who we are always supposed to say did something we approved of once upon a time, will not be a menace to America ever again,” but I am very serious. In no way am I amused and/or perplexed by people who take these great collections of words seriously.

    You are right to recognize that Republicans are fools, but you are wrong about us Democrats. We are quite intelligent people, and skilled campaigners.

    I don’t understand how you can say we defeated nobody. Our total was greater than that of Nader, Peltier, the Workers World’s person and the candidate of the SWP combined. That’s true even if you add Mr. David Cobb to the mix. We got the endorsement of both The American Prospect and The Nation. In other words, we are the party of the left, even though we are really just a bunch of moderates!

    Your worship of the Nader buffoon is sad. He is an arrogant, bitter old man driven by ego and nothing else. We told him to get out of the race and he didn’t! How can you possibly justify this?

    Yes, I know you and your comrades want to start whining about this or that, but before you Bush supporters do so, stop and take a good hard look at yourselves and your lives. Have you ever beaten us in an election? No. We are better than you.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  12/31  at  08:12 PM

  10. Hey, Micah - please stop. It’s almost 2005 and I really hate to welcome in a new year with a belly laugh. It really should be a solemn event.

    Posted by Greg Stricherz from Minneapolis, MN  on  12/31  at  08:16 PM

  11. Here’s a link to a piece by Carl Mayer that speaks of the Democrats - and the truth about winning and losing - in words much better than mine.  And his spelling is much better, too.  wink

    Enjoy!

    Posted by Paladin from Michigan, USA  on  01/01  at  01:33 AM

  12. I agree with a previous responder who thought your article was satire. John Kerry, ‘the right man for America right now’ is laughable.  Will he stand up with Representative Conyers on January 6th and challenge the Electoral College’s vote for George Bush?  Or, with his tail between his legs, will he and all other Democratic Senators say they believe in a real democracy yet let the stolen election be legitimized?  If he didn’t have the courage to stand up to the Secretary of State of Ohio back when he conceded early on, how can he be the right man for America? 
    My request to all Democratic Party members to open your eyes and see that your party’s leadership will lead us into more wars, more corporate control of DC, and of course, less freedom abroad and home. 
    I have a challenge to you. If no Democratic Senator stands up on January 6th with Representative Conyers, QUIT the Party. Join any number of others who fight against the duopoly whose two parties are often indistinguishable from one another.

    Posted by Myles Hoenig from Baltimore, Maryland  on  01/02  at  03:30 PM

  13. 2 points:

    I find your declaration that Kerry was the right man for the job laughable.  John Kerry was almost as Republican as Bush.  And on some issues like his full support for an assault on our civil liberties in adopting the 911 commissions recommendations it their entirety he was more so.  Also Kerry’s war plans for Iraq were downright frightening.  He wanted to pump even more money and people in to the this illegal war and it’s bloated budget than even our current war-monger in chief.

    Your statement to a victory over Nader points to your party’s general decline and spiral towards the right.  I left the Democratic party in disgust in 2002, and as of the start of 2005 I see things have only gotten worse.

    Where have all the progressives and liberals gone?

    Posted by Benjamin from Tallahassee  on  01/03  at  10:16 AM

  14. Paladin from Michigan, USA

    Thank you for sharing the Mayer article. I can only say that apparently both of you don’t understand that Democrats can do nothing if they are not in office. Vote Democratic!

    As for Democrats losing, Al Gore would President Al Gore right now if it wasn’t that dastardly Nader fellow. (Refute that all you want. We Gore supporters know the truth.) If President Al Gore had been able to exploit September 11, He would have won in two months ago and we would be better than ever.

    Given this overwhelming evidence, I hope you can see the error of your ways and I pray that you will do so.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/03  at  12:03 PM

  15. Myles Hoenig from Baltimore, Maryland,

    You have exposed yourself as nothing being a Democrat by encouraging people to leave the party of Jefferson and JFK. You are a Republican who is trying to destroy us at this, the most critical juncture in all of history or at least the last 101 years.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/03  at  12:11 PM

  16. Benjamin from Tallahassee,

    You appear to be nothing but another Republican Bush supproter.

    How can Kerry be a Republican, like you are? Kerry is a Democrat. We needed the intelligence bill to keep us safe and so we are not incorrectly seen as weaklings.

    Kerry wants to win in Iraq? Don’t you want us to win?

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/03  at  12:22 PM

  17. Micah Holmquist,

    Why is it you assume I am a Republican?  Because I am critical of the Democratic Party?  I am in fact registered with no party affiliation, and am a card carrying member of N.O.W., A.C.L.U., SPUSA.  If you were to look at my politics, you would see what the Democratic party use to be about, what the Democrats use to stand up for… not the shell of a party we have today.

    The intelligence bill was poorly designed and highly politicized.  It’s filled with laws that will do little to protect us and much to limit our rights and liberties as a society.  For example, someone arrested at a peace rally could potentially have her citizenship revoked for speaking against the government. 

    As for Iraq, I agree that we can’t leave until we’ve fixed what we broke.  Kerry’s plan for Iraq was simply Bush’s plan times two.  I honestly dont believe that more American occupying troops in the region is going to quell the insurgence.  It will only envigorate the freedom fighters cause.

    This is no more the same party of Jefferson than the Republican party is the party of Lincoln.  It is a completely differnt political sphere.  They are now the parties of of Microsoft, UPS and Pepsi .

    Posted by Benjamin from Tallahassee  on  01/03  at  12:55 PM

  18. OK I’ve grown bored with this.

    The whole thing has been a joke as are exactly 0% of the other things I have written for Press Action. I don’t mean this to be insulting but I don’t know how to say it without it being so, so… I personally think someone who could read what I wrote and not take it literally has to be quite dense, have little to no understanding of the rhetoric used in the United States and/or not be familar with the English language. (On that last point, I can understand with a certain degree of effectiveness most stuff written in Spanish, unless it is written on something other than a literal level. Then, I’m usually lost.)

    Just so it is clear, Democrats were the target of this bit of prose.

    Oddly enough, upon finishing the piece, my concern was that I had gone too over the top and that what I wrote had virtually no resemblance to anything that could be seen as coming from a loyal Democrat.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/03  at  01:34 PM

  19. I’ve come across many sore Dems that sound just as sardonic as your piece, but they always seem to turn out serious.  I guess I wouldn’t put any ridiculous statement past a Kerry supporter, real or otherwise.

    Posted by Benjamin from tallahassee  on  01/03  at  01:48 PM

  20. I’ve come to my own personal realization that it no longer matters what positions on the issues either party takes… as long as both puppets have fiscal strings that are controlled by puppetmasters.  Any differentiation between the issue differences of both parties is purely cosmetic.  Both parties are puppets to their respective fiscal puppetmasters.  What is sorely needed, therefore, is significant electoral reform… to remove the ability of fiscal puppetmasters to pull their strings.  The parties/puppets can dress themselves in any issue garment they want.  It is all inconsequential, as long as they have strings attached to them.

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  01/03  at  03:06 PM

  21. Micah, for your information I’m a Green and was a Green Party candidate for Baltimore City Council this past November.
    You said Greens/Nader helped Bush win in 00? Oh? Then you don’t believe that Gore actually won and the Republicans stole that election? We do.
    He stole it again in 04. Who do you have to scapegoat this time? 
    Why not take responsibilty for your own failings- as having Republican-lite candidates (Kerry)and failure to stand up with the Congressional Black Caucus as they tried in 00 and will this Thursday challenge the Electoral College.
    What will a ‘real’ Democrat do when no Senator has the backbone to stand up for the party of FDR and JFK (not Kerry)?
    I have no sympathy for the Democratic Party. Hell, too many of the Democratic leadership are joining the Greens and really messing things up for us! We like the rank and file who know what the real progressive concerns are.

    Maybe I missed something? Are you for the Iraqi war like your party nominee? Greens aren’t.  In fact, the Democ. and Republ. parties took issue with a very right wing university (Johns Hopkins U) for hosting a peace event.  The Democratic representative said in the Baltimore Sun that the DP supports the war.
    Perhaps that’s where the Democratic Party leadership and the rank and file of your and our party split ways.

    Thank you for your time.

    Posted by Myles Hoenig from Baltimore, Maryland  on  01/03  at  09:48 PM

  22. I hear you there, Ben.

    I was trying to speak from the perspective of a Democrat who expresses how the Dems act, even if the particulars are nothing that a Democrat would ever just come out and say. I don’t expect them to “give up” on trying to retake congress but the results of doing so would most likely roughly be the same as they are now.

    Part of me does think that it is a something of a cheap shot to make fun of the Democratic Party’s failure to compete electorally since I don’t want them to get better. The best hope I see is that they fall apart and the illusion of “choice” becomes exposed and people act accordingly. I doubt this will actually happen, but to rule that out in my mind is to all but give up hope that anything will ever change.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/04  at  10:52 AM

  23. Myles Hoenig,

    The piece and my initial responses in this here comments section were a joke, a very thinly veiled one if you ask me. I was making fun of Democrats.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/04  at  11:17 AM

  24. You mean I wasted my venon on someone who didn’t really mean what they were saying?  Why Micah Holmquist, you rotten son of a ....

    (see, I can do satire, too) wink

    While Micah believed he was so over the top that everyone would immediately recognize his true intentions, sadly, his piece was still close enough to reality to make people (including yours truly) overcome their initial suspicions and take it at face value (especially after following his first link and finding what appeared to be more of the same).  As a volunteer in the 2004 Nader presidential campaign, you wouldn’t believe some of the attitudes I’ve encountered this past year from people who could have easily written such a piece - and meant it!

    Then again, maybe you would.  grin

    Posted by Paladin from Michigan, USA  on  01/04  at  07:30 PM

  25. One of the nice things about PressAction is that it has links to other works by the same writer. If you look towards the bottom of this article, you will see a link labeled “More from Micah Holmquist.” Just the titles should be a real tipoff. But reading a couple of the articles will lead you to believe that Micah is definitely not vying with Howard Dean for DNC chair.

    Posted by Greg Stricherz from Minneapolis, MN  on  01/04  at  07:57 PM

  26. I figured that the comments made by others were done so in jest so I played along as it was fun. When it started to appear -hey, for all I know, you really have put one over on me- that people were serious, I became tired of it as I don’t want to be a shill for the Dems.

    This experience has been positive, however, as it is nice to see that their are intelligent and thoughtful people who are reading pieces from me on PA for the first time and I see that I may not always be getting my real point across.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  01/05  at  03:12 PM

    27. Next entry: Japanese Imperialists with a Brand New Bag

    Previous entry: Reflections on Tsunamis and the State of Exception

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